If you want to groove to the best beats, there is Clockenflap, and if admiring some mesmerising art pieces is your idea of an awesome day, then, there are Art Basel and Art Central. Simply put, art, music, and endless entertainment are taking over March with so many exciting, and eagerly-awaited events lined up for the month. Find out about all the fun March 2023 events scheduled to happen.
Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now
Contemporary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is known for her avant-garde paintings and sculptures, and her choice of bright and colourful palette attributes that M+ will no doubt be highlighting in its coming showcase of more than two hundred of the artist’s works. Among these, are many of her more recent works, including Pumpkin, Death of Nerves, and Dots Obsession – Aspiring to Haven’s Love.
When: Ongoing
Price: From HK$240
Location: West Gallery, The Studio, Main Hall, Lightwell, and Found Space, M+ Building, West Kowloon.
For more information: mplus.org.hk
Eternal Enlightenment: the Virtual World of Jiajing Emperor
Some 500 years ago, the Jiajing Emperor wished to become immortal. To be fair, he has kind of got what he sought courtesy of the Hong Kong Museum of Arts, with the venerable institution having organised a Jiajing Emperor-themed exhibition that brings to life the history of his dynasty through 240 intricately designed ceramics, portraits, and other art forms. Among the highlights of the exhibition is, undoubtedly, a blue porcelain collection set out on a 14-metre-long table by Angel Hui Hoi-kiu.
When: Ongoing
Price: Free entry
Location: Hong Kong Museum of Art
For more information: hk.art.museum
Clockenflap
Never failing to bring together an ensemble of truly exceptional acts from all around the world over an outdoor weekend of bewitching music and outstanding art is the three-day trilithon that is Clockenflap. The event, which prides itself on featuring a wide range of different musical genres, including rock, hip-hop, rap, and indie, is set to feature Ginger Root, Men I Trust, YoungQueenz, and many, many more in its participation lineup for 2023 Clockenflap. Already announced to headline on Friday night is the English rock band Arctic Monkeys in their much-anticipated performance in Hong Kong.
When: (3 – 5 Mar)
Price: From HK$1620
Location: Central Harbourfront Event Space
For more information: clockenflap.com
Also Read: Music Therapy: What is music therapy and who exactly does it benefit?
Homemade Sushi Making Class with Shima Shimizu
If a new skill is what you are looking to acquire this month, then why not try your hand at preparing your own sushi? Attend a session armed with only a pen and an apron and go back home fully equipped to make Gunkan-maki and Nigiri-sushi. Under the expert tutelage of Chef Shima Shimizu, the class will prepare you to make perfectly delicious sushi by teaching you all the important steps in the process – most notably cooking the rice and seasoning the fish correctly. Also, don’t forget to skip lunch beforehand as you will certainly have a lot of sushi sampling to get through.
When: 4 Mar
Price: From H$880
Location: Food Craft
For more information: foodcraft.hk
Hong Kong Food Walk with Chef ArChan Chan
If you are a foodie or a cultural enthusiast, then you are definitely going to want to sign up for this food walk in the company of Archan Chan, head chef of renowned Cantonese eatery Ho Lee Fook. A four-hour stroll forms part of the annual Hong Kong International Literary Festival and brings to life the chef’s book —Hong Kong Local: Cult Recipes From The Streets That Make The City.
When: 7 Mar
Price: From HK$965
Location: Sai Ying Pun
For more information: festival.org.hk
Dance-Opera–Love Streams
Those on the lookout for a truly immersive and riveting opera performance should probably check out Hong Kong Arts Festival Society’s Dance-Opera–Love Streams. This stunning concert will showcase the skills of a group of talented dancers from the Hong Kong Dance Company, as well as 12 acclaimed opera singers and musicians. Directed and choreographed by Yang Yuntao, the show comprises the two much-loved pieces –Heart of Coral and Women Like Us.
When: 17 – 19 Mar
Price: From HK$200
Location: The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
For more information: hk.artsfestival.org
The Stage Doors on Mars
The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra is promising to take you on a journey to Mars in 2057. Pre-commemorating this admittedly distant magnificent Martian event will be a scintillating array of Cantonese opera as the perfect sci-fi soundtrack. While part of the event will catapult you to the far future, another will take you on a trip to the past as you revisit many important musical events from the last century.
When: 17 – 18 Mar
Price: From HK$250
Location: Hong Kong City Hall
For more information: hk.artsfestival.org
Art Central
March is surely a compelling month for connoisseurs of creativity given all the art events set to take place in the weeks ahead. Among the most intriguing is the eighth edition of Art Central, which will be taking place as part of Hong Kong Art Week. Featuring works of both established and upcoming artists from all over the world, you should be most excited about Hong Kong’s very own Sammi Mak and Korean painter Han Choong Seok.
When: 22 – 25 Mar
Price: From HK$125
Location: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
For more information: artcentralhongkong.com
Also Read: Vibrant City: Hong Kong’s growing art scene
Art Basel
When it comes to going big, Art Basel is doing exactly that for its 2023 event, a move down to Hong Kong having lifted all of its travel restrictions, allowing more local and international art lovers than ever to participate in this high-profile annual extravaganza. This year, the show is set to welcome more than 150 exhibitors from all over the world, while also seeing the return of Encounters, the dedicated zone for big art installations, which had been on a Covid-mandated hiatus.
When: 23 – 25 Mar
Price: From H$280
Location: Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
For more information: artbasel.com
Coco Chanel: The Life of a Fashion Icon
Undoubtedly French designer Coco Chanel revolutionised women’s fashion as indicated by the fact that her fame has endured more than 50 years after her death. Commemorating this inimitable icon, Hong Kong Ballet is celebrating her life through an exquisitely conceived and executed ballet routine courtesy of award-winning choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. The dance performance is memorably soundtracked by Peter Salem’s sensational score, while Jerome Kaplan provides the eye-catching costumes.
When: 24 – 26 Mar
Price: From HK$180
Location: The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts
For more information: hkballet.com